Biography: Amit Thorat is an Assistant Professor at the Centre for the Study of Regional Development, School of Social Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. He earned his Ph.D. in Economics from Jawaharlal Nehru University, where his doctoral research examined regional patterns of poverty across social groups in India. Prior to joining JNU, he worked as an Associate Fellow at the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) and held research positions at the National Centre forAgricultural Economics and Policy Research (NCAP), the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), and the Economic Research Foundation. His research focuses on poverty and inequality, casteand social exclusion, discrimination, rural development, public health, education, and affirmative action. He has published extensively in leading national and international journals, including World Development, Economic Development and Cultural Change, PLOS ONE, Health Policy and Planning, Frontiers in Public Health, and Economic & Political Weekly. He has also contributed to major national and international research projects supported by organizations such as the International LabourOrganization (ILO), UNICEF, DFID, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.